Get Your EAA Sport
Aviation Magazine at Aircraft SpruceEAA Sport Aviation magazine is now available through
Aircraft Spruce and is better than ever. More feature stories; more
photos; more how-to, hands-on, build-it-yourself content; more about
flying; and so much more! The April 2012 issue is currently ready for
purchase, or buy a full 12-month subscription for a great price. Call
1 (877) 4‑SPRUCE or
visit AircraftSpruce.com.

AEA
OPENS IN WASHINGTON: A MIX OF DETERMINATION AND OPTIMISMThe
Aircraft Electronics Association opened its 55th annual trade show and
exhibition in National Harbor, Maryland, just across the Anacostia River
from Washington, D.C. with a mix of determination and optimism. In this
video intro to the show, AEA president Paula Derks told AVweband
the opening session of the eventthat it's time for the industry to
stop apologizing for imaginary sins and to take back the market momentum
it enjoyed before the economic downturn in 2008. More...

VIDEO:
AEA OPENS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.The 55th annual
Aircraft Electronics Association convention opened in Nations Harbor,
Maryland this week with good attendance and new product introductions.
AEA President Paula Derks gave AVweb an overview.
More...

Lycoming & Continental
Aircraft Starters: Aviation-Manufactured, OEM-Endorsed, &
Factory-Installed  For Over 20 Years
TCM supplier Hartzell Engine Technologies introduces the zero
back torque M-Drive starter  the best lightweight
starter designed to start even the hardest-cranking large-bore TCM
engines while safely disengaging from the starter adapter.
Lycoming-chosen E-Drive starters from Hartzell Engine
Technologies are unaffected by kick-backs, saving hours of service time
and replacement costs along with the best warranty available 
two-year unlimited!

GUARDIAN
COMBINES CO DETECTION AND BLUETOOTH FOR IPADAs if to bookend
Garmin's decision to release a major app for tablet computers, another
company, Guardian Avionics, has developed a clever box that distributes
GPS data into the cockpit through a wireless Bluetooth link. Guardian is
best known for its extensive line of sophisticated carbon monoxide
detectors, but in this
podcast, company owner Ash Vij told us that now Guardian has
combined CO detection and GPS bluetooth capability in a single box.
More...

PODCAST:
GUARDIAN TRANSMITS NAV DISPLAY TO IPADGuardian
Avionics has introduced a Bluetooth transmitter that takes the output
from a Garmin GPS and sends it to up to three iPads in the aircraft.
AVweb's Paul Bertorelli spoke with Guardian CEO Ash Vij
about the product at AEA 2012. More...

Your FBO's Insurance Protects
Them, Not You
Most insurance carried by the FBO or aircraft owner protects their
interests, not yours. That's why we created Avemco® Renters Insurance. It could save you
thousands in the event of a law suit!
Get your no-obligation quote.

WILL
APPS KILL THE GPS PORTABLE? GARMIN SAYS NOAt Sun 'n Fun,
Garmin announced a new product that not-so-subtly acknowledges that the
burgeoning tablet computer market represents real competition for
Garmin's core portable GPS market. Garmin's new product, called Pilot,
evolves the former Pilot MyCast product into a full featured navigator
for tablets with the look and feel of Garmin's GTN series navigators and
its some of its recent portables, such as the GPSmap 796. We asked
Garmin's Jim Alpiser at the Aircraft Electronics show in Washington,
D.C. if this signals the beginning of the end for big ticket portable
GPS. "We recognized that the tablets on the market today are very
attractive for a lot of reasons. It allows, number one, to get a giant
display in the cockpit and get charts on there," Alpiser told us in this
podcast recorded at the AEA show. "But Garmin portable GPSs are
still the most feature rich devices that you can get your hands on and
fly behind. I can show you a dozen different things you can do on a
Garmin GPS portable that you still cannot do on a tablet device," he
added. More...

Find Out Why Leading Flight
Training SchoolsFly Diamond Aircraft!Diamond Aircraft offers the only complete modern fleet of
technically-advanced training aircraft, along with model-specific flight
training devices and a safety record that is second to none. Call now to
find out why leading flight training schools around the globe fly
Diamond Aircraft.

NEW
COMM RADIOS FROM TRIGGiven all the excitement over tablet
apps and big-screen EFIS, the lowly comm radio has become a lost ball in
high grass. But Trig Avionics, a U.K.-based company, has introduced two
new comm radios that fit into a standard instrument hole with a remote
box that can be mounted just about anywhere in the aircraft. At the AEA
show in Washington, D.C., Trig's Andy Davis gave AVweb a briefing
on the new radios in this
podcast. More...

FAA
OFFERS WEBINARS ON UAS CHANGESLast month, the FAA said it plans
to establish six test ranges to start integrating unmanned aircraft
systems into the National Airspace System, and last week, the agency
said it will offer two webinars with more information about its plans
and a question-and-answer session. The two identical webinars, which are
meant to provide more information for those who might want to comment on
the proposal, are scheduled for Tuesday, April 10, from 10 a.m. to noon
EDT, and Wednesday, April 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. EDT. Each webinar will
include a discussion of the proposed changes and a question-and-answer
period. Online pre-registration is required to attend.
More...

EAA/AOPA
MEDICAL PROPOSAL OPEN FOR COMMENTSAnyone with an opinion
about the recent exemption request from EAA and AOPA that would enable
more pilots to skip their third-class medical renewals now has a chance
to comment on the official federal docket. The two advocacy groups are
encouraging pilots to post their support for the change, and posted a
guide (PDF) to help with the process. "Comments should be
substantive, significant, specific, or supported," the guide says. The
exemption would give pilots who fly recreationally the option to
participate in a recurrent online education program and self-assess
their fitness to fly, instead of renewing their third-class medical.
More...

There Are as Many Ways to
Teach Flyingas There Are Good Instructors
And each of these good instructors has developed special ways to guide
students toward becoming safe and competent pilots instead of simply
accumulating hours to a minimum standard. Until now, it has been too
hard to share such personal techniques beyond the local flight line. The
International Association of Flight Training Professionals is
helping to change this.
Click here to learn more.

MOTORGLIDER
AUTOLAND A SUCCESSGerman motorglider manufacturer Stemme has
demonstrated an automatic flight control system that is under
development. The LAPAZ system will eventually be able to take control of
a flight from takeoff to landing and on March 22 it put a STEMME S15
right on the centerline of the runway at Neuhardenburg, near Berlin. The
"pilot assistance system," as Stemme refers to it, is designed for
flights with a pilot on board. An enhanced version will be installed in
unmanned aerial vehicle versions of the aircraft. The system also has a
"gust alleviation system" to minimize the effect of rough air during
sensor missions. The March 22 flight tested the flexibility of the LAPAZ
system as well as its precision. More...

SOLAR
IMPULSE AIMS FOR 1,500-MILE FLIGHTIt has already set three
world records and now the solar and battery powered aircraft Solar
Impulse will attempt a two-day flight covering 1,500 miles flying out of
Switzerland for Morocco. That flight is scheduled for May or June. The
aircraft will stop in Spain so the crew can switch pilots and won't use
a single drop of fuel during the flight. Solar Impulse has already set
endurance and altitude records during an earlier 26-plus hour flight and
another record earned in 2010 for manned flight powered only by
sunlight. The Solar Impulse team is stepping up toward significantly
higher goals. More...

Fly More for
Less
Visit the AVbuys page for discounts, rebates, incentives,
bargains, special offers, bonus depreciation, or tax benefits to help
stretch your budget. We're helping you to locate and view current offers
instantly, with a direct link to sponsors' web sites for details.

AIR
RACERS 3D MOVIE OPENS TODAYA new 3D film
currently scheduled for a handful of IMAX theaters offers
unique visual perspectives of the Reno Air Races, good engine noise and
a bit of aviation history. The film loosely follows Steve Hinton,
Jr.'s 2009 bid to succeed his father's record as the youngest pilot to
win the Unlimited Gold championship at the races in the modified P-51,
Strega. Filming was done at 2009 and 2010 Reno race events and was
completed in June 2011 with specially staged air-to-air shots. The final
product leaves out mention of the September 2011 crash that killed pilot
Jimmy Leeward and 10 spectators, injured 74 others, and destroyed the
modified P-51 Galloping Ghost. (Trailer after the jump.)
More...

BRAINTEASERS
QUIZ #170: HANDS OFF MY AIRSPACE!The instant an aircraft
levitates, it's operating within some form of regulated airspace. So,
while the FAA continues to seek funding for its Airspace Museum in
Washington, D.C., test your grasp of this elusive administrative
ether.

DIAMOND
FLIES ITS NEW DA52Diamond reported Tuesday that its new DA52
twin completed its first flight, with Diamond CEO Christian Dries and
test pilot Ingmar Meyerbuch at the controls. The DA52 is essentially the
cabin of the DA50 SuperStar, which was proposed a few years ago, paired
with new wings and two 180-HP Austro AE300 engines. The engines are
manufactured in a new facility adjacent to Diamond's factory in Weiner
Neudstadt, Austria. According to Diamond, the aircraft took off at a
gross weight of 3,900 pounds and climbed to 12,000 feet in nine minutes,
for an average two-engine climb rate of about 1300 FPM. On the initial
flight, the aircraft achieved a true airspeed of 190 knots with no
abnormalities, Diamond said. More...

PAL-V
ROADABLE GYROCOPTER FLIES IN EUROPEPAL-V, a personal
air and land vehicle, has been in development in the Netherlands for
several years, and recently achieved its first flight, the company said
on Monday. A folding pusher prop provides power and the auto-rotating
rotor provides lift. On the road, the vehicle accelerates like a sports
car and handles like a motorcycle, according to the company. Several
flights were conducted over the last two weeks, the company said. Robert
Dingemanse, CEO and co-founder of PAL-V, said he is now inviting
investors to help support development of the aircraft. "We know there is
a lot of interest for the PAL-V," he said. "Prior to announcing these
test flights, we were already approached on a daily basis by potential
customers and dealers wanting to be part of this exciting project."
More...

FIRST
FLIGHT FOR TERRAFUGIA PROTOTYPETerrafugia's production
prototype of its Transition street-legal airplane took flight for the
first time just over a week ago, the company announced on Monday. The
first flight took place in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on Friday, March 23, the
company said. The flight lasted for eight minutes, staying in the
airport vicinity, and reached an altitude of 1,400 feet above ground
level. The flight "demonstrated the controllability and safe operational
characteristics of the aircraft," the company said. An earlier version
of the airplane flew
in 2009, providing data that helped in the design of the current
prototype. The current version is scheduled to complete the flight
testing required to qualify as a light sport aircraft, with first
deliveries expected within a year. Click here for video from the flight -- and the drive to
the airport.More...

Peter Drucker
Says,"The Best Way to Predict the Future Is to Create
It"
It's easy for your company to be more proactive, flexible, and
entrepreneurial with AVweb's cost-effective marketing
programs. Discover the benefits of instant response, quick copy
changes, monthly tracking reports, and interactive programs. To find out
how simple it is to reach 255,000 qualified pilots, owners, and
decision-makers weekly,
click now for details.

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to Flightways Columbus at Columbus Metropolitan
Airport (KCSG) in (you guessed it) Columbus, Georgia. "The entire staff
on more than one occasion has gone way beyond to make sure that I was
happy," writes AVweb reader Matt Hinkle. "These guys
really know what customer service means!"

AVwebFlash is a twice-weekly summary of the
latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on
AVweb, the
world's premier independent aviation news resource.

The
AVwebFlash team is:

PublisherTom Bliss

Editorial Director,
Aviation PublicationsPaul
Bertorelli

Editor-in-ChiefRuss Niles

Contributing
EditorsMary GradyGlenn Pew

WebmasterScott Simmons

ContributorsKevin Lane-CummingsJeff Van West

Have a
product or service to advertise on AVweb? Your advertising can
reach over 225,000 loyal AVwebFlash, AVwebBiz, and
AVweb home page readers every week. Over 80% of our
readers are active pilots and aircraft owners. That's why our
advertisers grow with us, year after year. For ad rates and scheduling,
click
here or contact Tom Bliss,
via
e-mail or via telephone [(480)
525-7481].

Click
here to send a letter to the
editor. (Please let us know if your letter is not
intended for publication.)

If you're having
trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd
prefer a lighter, simpler format for your phone or handheld device),
there's also a text-only version of AVwebFlash. For complete
instructions on making the switch, click
here.